Inside the New York Yankees clubhouse with MLB.com beat writer Bryan Hoch.

Results tagged ‘ David Phelps ’

Carlos Beltran said that he was given no better than a 50-50 chance of playing the outfield again this season, but that coin flip has worked out in the Yankees’ favor. The veteran will play right field on Saturday, his first appearance there since May 11.

“I’m happy, of course,” Beltran said. “We have been looking forward for this, trying to put my arm in condition to be back in the outfield. It really took a while … right now, I just feel like it’s time.”

Beltran has a bone spur in his right elbow that will require surgery after the season, but the 37-year-old said that he has been throwing without discomfort.

The Yankees have been playing Martin Prado in right field since his July 31 acquisition from the D-backs, with Beltran limited to designated hitter duties. Beltran’s return to outfield play will increase manager Joe Girardi’s flexibility in putting together lineups.

“You can get more right-handed hitters in there today [against left-hander Drew Smyly],” Girardi said. “You get in long stretches and you can give other guys a DH day. We’ve got some long stretches coming up.”

Though his season stats are not up to expectations, Beltran has seen a jump in his numbers recently, which coincides with the improvement in his elbow. In 26 games since the All-Star break, Beltran posted a split line of .299/.355/.495, with five homers and 17 RBIs.

“I guess in the back of my mind sometimes I get caught up a little bit protecting it,” Beltran said. “At the end of the day, I just have to come and prepare myself and try to do the best I can. Once the game starts, I try not to think about it, but during batting practice and cage work and things like that I try to be smart and try not to do much.”

Beltran said that since his elbow issue is not a secret, he would expect the aggressive Rays to test his arm on Saturday.

“I’ve been playing catch and I’ve been throwing to the bases – second base, for the most part,” Beltran said. “I’ve been making throws where I feel like if that happened in the game, I could do that. It feels fine.”

Masahiro Tanaka threw 25 fastballs off a bullpen mound on Saturday morning at Tropicana Field, reporting no discomfort, and the Yankees right-hander is eager to begin snapping off breaking pitches in his next session.

“I think we’re heading in the right direction, so I feel good about that,” Tanaka said through an interpreter.

Tanaka is trying to avoid surgery to repair a partial tear in his right ulnar collateral ligament. Tanaka said that regardless of the Yankees’ position in the standings, he would want to come back and make a handful of September starts to gauge his progress.

“I think it’s important for the team to fight until the end of the season, so for me, if it would be possible, I’d like to contribute until the end of the season,” Tanaka said.

The Yankees are on board with that idea. Looking ahead to 2015, there is a great deal of uncertainty in their starting rotation, and it would be useful to know if Tanaka can realistically be counted upon.

“I think it’s important that we know that he’s healthy, and I think the only way you’re going to find out is if you get him in games,” manager Joe Girardi said.

Tanaka will travel with the team after Sunday’s series finale, continuing his rehab in New York. He has been an observer for the Yankees’ recent skid.

“Everybody’s doing their best to try to get a W, obviously,” Tanaka said. “So if I get a chance to come back, I’ll be on the same page with everybody else.”

The morale level has fallen in the Yankees’ dugout during their recent slide, according to hitting coach Kevin Long, who believes that several of the team’s players are pressing for results that aren’t coming.

“We need to get back to where we’re feeling good,” Long said. “That was only five or six days ago. These guys are going through a tough time. We’re going through a tough time. I only know one way to get out of this, and that’s to keep fighting, keep working, keep grinding, and I know the guys in this room will do that.”

New York has managed seven runs during the five-game skid, hitting .173 (28-for-161) overall and .064 (2-for-31) with runners in scoring position. They’ve struck out 46 times against eight walks.

“You’re always going to look down when you don’t score runs,” manager Joe Girardi said. “That’s the nature of the game. Guys are frustrated. I’ve said that guys are frustrated because they know that they’re capable of doing more. We want to play in October, and when you lose, you should be frustrated. You shouldn’t just blow it off.”

Long said that the Yankees’ goal is to be scoring five or six runs a game, which obviously they have not come close to achieving.

”Sometimes the pitching doesn’t allow you do that,” Long said. “Sometimes there’s days when I feel like we really should and we don’t do it. Against a Corey Kluber or [Alex Cobb], it’s understandable that the runs are going to be down.

”Not to throw Chris Tillman under the bus, but he didn’t have his best stuff [on Aug. 13]. That’s a guy where you want to capitalize and take advantage of it…. Some of those other guys we should be able to get to.”

Catcher Brian McCann (concussion) was eligible to be activated from the seven-day disabled list on Saturday, but the Yankees have decided to give him at least one more day to continue workouts.

Manager Joe Girardi said that he thought McCann looked “kind of lethargic” going through catching drills and batting practice on Friday, which was likely related to resting for several days after sustaining the concussion in an Aug. 8 game against the Indians.

Right-hander David Phelps (inflammation in right elbow) is scheduled to resume throwing during the Yankees’ upcoming homestand. Phelps has been on the disabled list since Aug. 4.

Right-hander Andrew Bailey (recovery from right shoulder surgery) has had setbacks while rehabbing in Tampa, Fla. and is not expected to be able to help at the big league level this year, Girardi said. Bailey signed a Minor League deal with the Yanks in February.

On this date in 1948, Babe Ruth passed away at the age of 53. Ruth’s body was laid in state at the entrance of Yankee Stadium for the next two days. On this date in 2006, the Yankees broke ground on the construction of the new Yankee Stadium, which opened in 2009.

Happy Valentine’s Day from George M. Steinbrenner Field, where we’re into Day 2 of workouts for pitchers and catchers. Today’s schedule is a bit lighter than yesterday, but there’s still some activity out here, as David Phelps was on the mound this morning for a live batting practice session.

It’s a little early in the spring to be facing hitters, but Phelps has been down here for about three weeks now. He worked to Francisco Cervelli and Bobby Wilson on the diamond, firing 30 pitches with J.R. Murphy doing the catching.

Cody Eppley, Adam Warren and Brett Marshall also threw live BPs this morning, but the focus is on Phelps, who is going up against Ivan Nova to serve as the fifth starter in one of the Yankees’ few camp competitions.

“I didn’t really have any set goals,” Phelps said. “I’m just trying to get better every day. I don’t want to look too far in advance because you can lose track of what you’re doing today. I’m just trying to learn a little bit more every day, trying to pick guys’ brains, whether it be Andy [Pettitte] or some of the other guys. I’m just trying to gain as much knowledge as I can about going out, doing your job and getting guys out.”

Nova and Joba Chamberlain also threw side sessions this morning, while David Robertson, Dellin Betances, Jose Ramirez, Francisco Rondon and Josh Spence are set to throw bullpens later.

There’s been no sign of newly-acquired reliever Shawn Kelley, who was picked up from the Mariners yesterday in exchange for Minor League outfielder Abraham Almonte; Kelley will probably need a day or so to pack up his belongings before joining the team and competing with Eppley for a role in the Yanks’ bullpen.

One new wrinkle was added to the mix this morning — the Yankees commissioned an 11 a.m. bus to bring some of the pitchers across the street to the Himes Avenue Minor League complex to continue their workouts, since there’s a few more hitters over there to throw to. We’ll have more from camp later today.

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The Yankees liked David Phelps’ quality start this afternoon against the Red Sox, in which the rookie allowed three runs in 6 2/3 innings, but he appears ticketed to head back to the bullpen. CC Sabathia vowed that he will be ready to return on Friday, and if so, the big man will be on the mound at Progressive Field against the Indians.

That is no slight against Phelps, who has proven himself as a very useful part of the 2012 Yankees roster.

“We like what he does. He’s a guy that is somewhat of a swing guy for us,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “If we need him to start, he can start. If we need him to give us an inning in the bullpen, a couple innings in the bullpen, long relief, he can do that. He’s a valuable guy on your team because he can do so many different things, and he’s had success in all areas this year.”

Girardi quickly doused any speculation that Phelps would knock any other Yankees pitcher from the rotation, dismissing the question with a chuckle.

“No. Our guys are going to make their starts,” Girardi said. “The good thing is he’s built up if we do need another spot start. That’s the good thing for us. You always have concerns about your depth, and he gives us that.”

Of Sabathia’s impending return, Phelps said: “I’m just going to show up tomorrow and do my work and go from there. I’ll think about the next day when it comes. … I’m not going to be able to do what he does, but I just go out there and try to keep us in the game every time my name’s called. Hopefully I keep doing it.”

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Adam Warren is 5-5 with a 3.86 ERA in 15 starts at Triple-A and will make his Major League debut on Friday against the White Sox.

The Yankees were hit with a double-whammy of injuries to left-handers CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte on Wednesday, but general manager Brian Cashman said that his preference is to search for answers within the organization before burning up the telephone lines looking for potential trades.

Sabathia (left groin strain) should be back in the Yankees’ rotation after the All-Star break, missing just two starts, but Pettitte (fractured left ankle) is expected to miss six to eight weeks.

“I would prefer not to go outside,” Cashman said. “Obviously if we do go outside, we’ve done that before. This is part of the process. You have to have alternatives; this gives opportunities for people to step up. Just like some guys in the bullpen have allowed us to step up and withstand some injuries – that’s what Boone Logan, Clay Rapada and [Cody] Eppley have done – we’re going to have to ask for some other guys to do that for the rotation, as well. Let’s play it out and see where it takes us.”

The Yankees have already assigned starts to Adam Warren and Freddy Garcia, and Cashman said that David Phelps could soon be promoted from Class-A Tampa, where he is building back into a starter.

Phelps threw 55 pitches in his last outing at Class-A and could throw 65 to 70 pitches next time. Cashman said that Phelps would have been the first choice if he was ready to serve as a starter, but since he isn’t, the call will go to Warren.

“Warren is by far the next best for us. He’s earned it,” Cashman said. “He almost earned the opportunity last year, too. We’re excited to get a chance to see what he’s got to do. I know this is a day he’s been dreaming about and growing for. Throw strikes, try to eliminate the butterflies, trust the guys he’s got behind him and we’ll see where he takes us.

“He’s earned the right and he’s due for the opportunity. Now it’s going to come, which is great. Whatever happens is going to happen in the short-term; it’s not going to change the fact that we believe he’s a big-league starter going forward here at some point on a consistent basis.”

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